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02 October 2011

90 years ago: death of württembergs last King

Today it is exactly 90 years ago that the last King of Württemberg, King Wilhelm II. passed away at Bebenhausen Castle.

Prince Wilhelm was born on 25. February 1848 in the Prinzenbau at Stuttgart as the only child of Prince Friedrich and his wife Princess Katharina, one of the daughters of the reigning King Wilhelm I. of Württemberg. As it became in the 1850's clear that the Crown Princely Couple Karl and Olga, née Grand Duchess of Russia would remain childless he was educated as heir to the Throne as he was at place 3 in the line of succession at that time after Crown Prince Karl and his father, Prince Friedrich. In Tübingenand Göttingenhestudied law andStaats-/finacial scienceand joinedtheCorpsSueviaTübingen andGöttingenBremensia. Later he joined in Potsdam the prussian Militär.

On 15. February 1877 he made a true Lovematch when he married at Arolsen Princess Marie zu Waldeck and Pyrmont. Soon in December of the same year the first child, Princess Pauline was born. In July 1880 the heir, Prince Ulrich was born. But unfortunately the young Prince died already 5 months later. In April 1882 the Princess gave birth to a stillborn daughter. The Princss died 3 days later. On 8. April 1886 Prince Wilhelm married again this time Princess Charlotte zu Schaumbrug-Lippe, from the so called Nachold-line of the Princely Family. But unfotunately this marriage remained childless.

On 6. Ocotober 1891 King Karl I. died and Wilhelm now became his successor as King Wilhelm II. Many of the sovereign rightshad fallento the German Emperor. King Willhelmuseda ratherlargemiddle-classlifestyle and lived also aftrer his accession to the throne at the Wilhelmspalais at Stuttgart and the Neue Schloß was only used for official Events.Withoutguardor escort, he wenttowalkinthelast daysof his governmentinStuttgart.Men from thebourgeoisie, he invited them to"Mr.evenings" in his residencein the Wilhelmspalais. Fordomestic servantsand agriculturalworkers, heintroduced ahealth insurance.And taxeswerefirstleviedin Württembergafter the actualincomeof citizens.Under hispatronagetheSocialistCongresswas heldinStuttgart, at the court theaterplays were performed, whichwerebanned in othercountries, for example,by FrankWedekind,at whoseperformancesthe Royal Couple together was present.The outbreakof World WarII shocked King Willhelm II. withtears in hiseyes, he discharged the troops inStuttgart.

Since theend of October 1918 there where more and more demonstrationsandprotests against the existingsocial order.Also inthe eliminationof theWürttembergmonarchywas demanded.Ata meetingof the demonstratorswith the Mionister of the Intereieur Köhleron 04. November 1918 the protesters agreed that KingWilhelmII-highlyappreciatedby his subjects-havean exemplaryactconstitutionally, one of the leaderswhodemandedtheabdication. The spartacisr Seebacherformulatedas follows, however: „s'isch aber wegen dem Sischtem“ ("however, it isbecauseof the system ")At the 9. November1918, arevolutionary crowdwaspenetratedwithforeignleadersin partto theWilhelmsplais, King WilhelmII. eventually leftthe eveninginStuttgartBebenhausendirection. Thatassistedhiminthis situation,no one, heneverrelatives. On 30November 1918, herenounced thecrownand assumed thetitle of Dukeof Württemberg. The provisional governmentassured himon 29November 1918veryobligingly, that hewould retainin addition toan annualpension of200,000 marksand alifetimeresidency rightsin the hunting lodgeBebenhausenthe unrestrictedright to dispose ofhis private property.

Bildunterschrift hinzufügen

Thelastyears where spent inBebenhausenand more atFriedrichshafen.King Wilhelm II. died in the morning of the 2. October 1921 at Bebenhausen Castle. He was lying in State at Bebenhausen and on 7. Ocotober the coffin was brought to Marienwahl his House at Ludwigsburg according to his own wishes the coffin was not carried through Stuttgart but around it. From Marienwahl the coffin was brought to the Old burial ground at Ludwigsbrug where he was buried next to his first wife and son.

After his death the headship of the Royal House passed to the so called catholic line of the House of Würtztemberg and the present Head of the House is Duke Carl. Since 1993 there is again a connection to King Wilhelm II. as Duke Friedrich, the oldest son and heir of duke Carl, married in 1993 Princess Marie zu Wied who is a great-great-granddaughter of King Wilhelm II. through his daughter Princess Pauline who was marrid to Fürst Friedrich zu Wied.